Welcome to the Darkness
by Merciless Angels Never Cry
Summary: Saoirse, a new member of Deepground quickly dicovers the dark secrets that Shinra has been hiding underground for all these years. However, she never expected to become attracted to a Tsviet...nevermind a dark-wielding SSS Rank one...


**Author's Note: **Hello everyone, finally came around to writing a FFVII fanfic. ^^; Nero needs more love, seriously! Also, the reason why I'm using an OC is, while I am interested in Shelkero, it's because of the way she looks (nine year old making out with a twenty-three year old) but there are some amazing stories about them I must admit. ^_^ Anyways, I hope that ye enjoy the story and please review. xxx

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Final Fantasy or any of the characters, they belong to the divine Square-Enix. If I did however, not only would I be rolling in money but all of my favourite characters would be in my basement…if I had a basement…

* * *

><p>The air in the dingy medical room just hung limply, making the atmosphere feel dead. The thick acrid stench of Mako filled the entire Deepground vicinity, intoxicating everyones' nostrils and forming a build-up of what tasted like bitter iron, almost like blood but a lot more stronger and much more vile, and it clung to the back of everyones' throats, the unpleasant sensation always there among other things.<p>

Deepground; a world of hell below, truly lived up to its standards. It was no place for the weak; those who could not hack the pressure and constant threat of the Restrictors along with the continuous experiments and daily dosages of Mako injections were either killed unwillingly or just simply gave up in exhaustion. As for those who stood up to the Restrictors, whether the acts were from bravery or stupidity was still debateable (most likely from the latter). Once you entered Deepground, you only just got about the bare basics; rations, a bath once a week, toilets and a dilapidated bed to sleep on. The idea of comfort was laughed at by the Restrictors, why should they care if their pawns had a bit of luxury to make the entire nightmare a bit easier and why would anyone dare question the acts and laws of those who were absolute? Even the Tsviets' luxuries were limited despite their high rank, they maybe the Elite but they most certainly didn't surpass the "Lost Force". How could they when they had a chip inserted into their brain stem, along with the other members of Deepground, so that the Restrictors could fully impose fear and total control over everyone.

I barely remember the Shin-Ra scientist extracting the needle from my arm as other scientists held me down as I struggled. Teeth snapping, body thrashing and eyes as wide as saucers but once the sedative started to set in, they were quickly reduced to slits and the darkness. When I finally came round, I was strapped to the bed along with dozens of others, a numbing pain at the back of my head as others moaned in agony. Eventually, after a few days spent in intensive care, we were let out. Like everyone, I reached behind to feel a bandage to later on remove it and feel a tiny bald patch where the stitched up wound was.

Every day seemed almost robotic. You got up; got dressed, made your bed, head down to the research facility for the daily dose of Mako and feel sluggish for the rest of the day. The time of day was almost irrelevant down here; you woke up along with the other soldiers at the siren, the "sky" was just a façade that was almost believable up until the odd static popped up on screen. Those who were in Deepground since the day they were born took notice of this, but for those of us that lived on the outside detested the ceiling screens with a passion. The illusion was almost heart-breaking; the lush grassy fields of Banora and the arches made from the dumbapple trees along with the small but pleasant houses would fill you with a warm feeling inside your chest only to be replaced by harsh bitterness when you could no longer feel the soft gentle breeze on your skin and the blades of grass running through your fingers as you lay on it, enjoying the gentle rays of the sun. You wouldn't know the things you'd lose when you're locked down here…

I have been here for roughly a month. Those who were new to Deepground were almost instantly put under the knife so that the chip could be inserted. Soon after being released, we were given injections to "enhance" our abilities and senses. If you protested while the needle was being inserted into you, an authority would be called in and you would be dealt with in any manner that they choose.

I sat there, watching through long strands of light-brown hair as the masked scientist penetrated the tender area of my arm with the syringe, wincing as I could feel pressure underneath it as Mako was being pumped into me, entering my system and slowly turning me into something inhuman. The scientist abruptly dismissed me when he threw the used needle into the waste disposal. I followed some of the others to our rooms. The man stayed with the men and the women stayed with the women. As for the children, they were separated into genders as well.

The springs of the bed creaked when my body weight landed on the bottom bunk, eyelids heavy and breathing softly. I hated Mako, everyone did, it made you feel constantly tired and useless, a disadvantage when a superior wanted to check in. We weren't soldiers…yet, we still needed the Mako to work into our systems before any improvements were visible, but that didn't mean that we were immune to inspections. On the outside, when you hear that in order to join SOLDIER, you needed to have an operation so that you would be physically able for any missions assigned to you, I quickly became sceptical of the ideal job on the Planet. However…these small procedures were far different from that of a normal SOLDIER.

I could hear soft footsteps coming towards my bed, managing to open one eye I looked up at the women. Sara smiled sheepishly at me before sitting by my legs. She tucked stray strands of her jet black hair behind her ear. "Injections suck huh…?" she spoke, forcing a smile to appear on her small tanned face. She was a year older than me, twenty-two, but she looked almost sixteen. Her striking blue eyes showed a small hint of Mako.

"Yeah," I groaned, rubbing my eyes wondering if my natural green colour showed a tint of pale blue. "Think we'll get another goddamn inspection…?"

"Don't think so," she sighed. "Didn't we have one last week…?"

"Dunno, but it'd handy if we had a calendar," I half-joked, leaning on my elbows facing Sara. "I don't see the point in these; we do nothing apart from get pricked by needles, feel drowsy for the rest of the day and clean up after the soldiers…"

"Yeah but I hear that we'll be starting our training in a day or so."

"When did you hear that?"

Sara shrugged. "I overheard one of the scientists talking yesterday about it. Hey Saoirse, do ya think that they'll be hard…?" She knew the answer, it was written in her eyes, but she needed it to be confirmed out loud.

"Yeah…" I muttered; eyebrows furrowed. "As long as I can get through it without being killed, I don't care."

"Huh," she breathed out, her expression unreadable. "You have a point, but I guess we won't know until the day. Now…" she stood up, "I have to go and clean out rifles, you…?"

"Sharpen blades. I'll see ya when I'll see ya."

Sara chuckled softly. "Talk to ya later!"

Slowly getting up I sighed, the unpleasant thought of sharpening swords while someone was breathing down your neck was irritating and painful if you did something wrong. A dark cynical smile creeping up on my face, something I got since arriving here, Deepground really didn't spare any prisoners…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thanks for reading and more will be on the way, this is just the introduction. ^_^ I hope ye enjoyed it and please review. Nero isn't that far off from appearing. xxx


End file.
